Turku has been selected for the focus phase of Vital Nodes. We will update this page as the project evolves.
During the workshop main challenges discussed, amongst others, were:
- The (lack of) coordination and cooperation above chain – regarding freight and passenger transport, inter-operability and waiting times for ships and trucks;
- Dealing with the (great) archipelago of Turku, which is the only possible way to reach the port of Turku, but brings a long distance of piloting;
- Realizing the ambitious emission goals by balancing between impact on liveability, safety, accessibility and connectivity;
- Positioning the airport of Turku within the area and in relation to the other airports in Finland and the surrounding countries;
- Possibilities for a modal shift.
Besides zooming in on these challenges, the discussion brought up interesting insights and good practices. Examples are:
- Goals for an emission neutral port of Turku by 2029;
- The governance/cooperation within the Northern Growth Zone and the Scandinavian-Mediterranean TEN-T core network corridor: Structural model for 2035, with 14 municipalities (non-binding, but common understanding), land use development;
- Studies on financing infrastructure developments.
Takeaways from the workshop are:
- The willingness to realize the high speed railway connection between Turku and Helsinki, bringing back travel time from more than 2 hours to 1.5 hours. This is not just an infrastructure project, but should deliver multiplying effects on the Turku region;
- Ambitious goals for carbon neutrality in order to realize zero emission by the year 2029;
- The enormous potential of knowledge and information exchange by realizing cross-overs between different sectors, peoples, events and (testing) initiatives in order to build on collaboration and cooperation. Public-public, but also public-private.